Adam re-elected to Great Prairie AEA board

Four Great Prairie Area Education Agency Board members were elected to new four-year terms of office in September.

John Adam from Richland was re-elected to the board of directors and will continue to represent Director District 6, which includes the Fairfield, Fremont, Pekin, WACO, Winfield-Mount Union and the portion of Highland Township Precinct, Richland Township Precinct and Center Township Precinct contained in the Ottumwa school district.

Harold Mick from Albia was re-elected to the board, representing Director District 2, which includes the Albia, Chariton, Eddyville-Blakesburg, Lineville-Clio, Moravia and Wayne community school districts. Mick has served on the board of directors for 35 years. 

Director District 7 will continue to be represented by Lonny Morrow from Mount Pleasant, who represents: Mediapolis, Morning Sun, Mount Pleasant, New London and Wapello community school districts. 

Victoria Stephenson of Fort Madison was elected to represent Director District 9 which includes:  Danville, Fort Madison, West Burlington, and the portion of West Burlington Township Precinct, Union Concordia Precinct and Flint River Middletown Precinct contained in the Burlington school district. Stephenson replaces retiring board member John Schnicker of Fort Madison. 

Great Prairie AEA board members are elected by the school boards of the districts they represent.

Fairfield school district superintendent Don Achelpohl pointed out the Fairfield district has the largest population at nearly 15,000 giving it 55.38 percent of the weighted Director District 6 vote.

The Fairfield school board members decided to cast their vote for Adam during their Sept. 14 meeting.

Martha Swearington of Richland also was a candidate for the District 6 chair.

Fairfield school board member Margaret Dwyer pointed out the board didn?t really know anything about either candidate other than Adam was a past Pekin school board member and had been on the AEA board for 16 or 17 years and Swearington has been involved with Pekin school the last few years.

?I would like some more information,? she said, pointing out the district should ask for candidate information from the AEA before future elections.

For the complete article, see the Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.